Organic produce could be worse for tropical wildlife

TALK about an information vacuum. No one yet knows if organic farms are better for the environment than normal farms because most of them have never been studied.

Lindsay Turnbull of the University of Oxford examined 95 studies and found that organic farms had 30 per cent more species of birds, insects and plants than normal ones, in line with earlier studies (Journal of Applied Ecology, DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.1221900). But few studies covered the tropics, where bananas and cacao are major organic crops.

Tropical organic farming might not be as wildlife friendly as in Europe. European species have lived with intensive farms, often similar to organic farms, for centuries and have adapted. Tropical species have not.

Organic farming may be worse for wild tropical species, says Turnbull. Its lower yields mean that for a given amount of produce, more natural habitat must be cleared.

This article appeared in print under the headline "Organic gains remain unproven"

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